SAN ANTONIO - As members of the media waited outside the visitors locker room at AT&T Center, Dwane Casey addressed his players behind closed doors, a standard post-game procedure, win or lose. AJ McCarron Jersey . After Mondays hard-fought loss, the wait seemed longer than usual. Getting set to go their separate ways for a short Christmas break, the Raptors coach credited his team for their effort on a seemingly impossible three-game road trip, urging them to build on that success when they get back to work at the end of the week. "It was a good trip," Casey said after their 112-99 loss to the Spurs capped off a 2-1 stretch in four days, highlighted by impressive wins in Dallas and Oklahoma City. "I told the guys it was a good start. Were just getting started to where we want to go." Playing in the second night of a back-to-back and coming off their most physically and mentally taxing victory of the campaign - a 104-98 win over the league-best Thunder Sunday - the Raptors simply ran out of gas in San Antonio, facing an unforgiving terror of a team. "We missed some good looks, some of it was fatigue, some of it was legs, some of it was their good defence getting into us," Casey said. "We knew that coming in, that it was going to be a battle. "And thats our next step, to be mentally tough, to fight through fatigue, to fight through back-to-backs and try to do the same things we did [Sunday] night." The final score is not indicative of how closely matched this game turned out to be. In fact, the 13-point margin of victory was San Antonios largest lead of the contest. Although the home team maintained control for most of the night, the Raptors kept pace and refused to roll over or look ahead to their upcoming two-day vacation. "We are a team that has to be scrappy," Amir Johnson acknowledged, scoring just seven points and grabbing eight rebounds in a match-up with future Hall of Famer Tim Duncan. "Against teams like [the Spurs] we have to play with the physicality just like we did in Dallas and OKC. We have to be the team that pushes the tempo. We cant relax and thats what we have been doing these past couple of weeks. We fight but unfortunately we came up short tonight." Although Duncan had a quiet nine points and 12 boards, the other two-thirds of San Antonios vintage big three controlled the tempo of the game. Tony Parker led all scorers with 26 to go along with eight assists, while Manu Ginobili added 18 points of the Spurs bench. San Antonios second unit - one of the best in the association - contributed 52 points, giving the Spurs 48-minutes worth of high-level production. The Raptors couldnt keep up. The Spurs out-rebounded Toronto by 10 and grabbed 16 offensive boards. They held a 16-point advantage in the paint, dished out 27 assists and recorded a season-high 24 second chance points. "Its always tough playing in a back-to-back, especially against two of the best teams in the West," said DeMar DeRozan. "We understood that coming in but we were in the game. They hit a couple big time threes that pushed the lead up for them and made it tough for us to keep it within arms length but we fought." DeRozan - who had already face a pair of tough wing defenders in Shawn Marion and Thabo Sefolosha on the trip - struggled against Kawhi Leonard, scoring 13 points on 5-of-16 shooting. "He had a rough night but Kawhi Leonard is one of the top defenders in the league," Casey said of DeRozan. "They were double-teaming him in his post-ups so they werent going to let him go." Terrence Ross was the beneficiary of the added attention paid to DeRozan. The Raptors sophomore made 10 of 16 attempts for 23 points, while Kyle Lowry also scored 23 and recorded a team-best nine assists. Although a 2-1 record on this trip is nothing to scoff at - its two wins more than most expected them to get - Caseys message has been received and his team is striving for more. "I wish we would have got that last win," Johnson insisted. "The two wins is great but it would have been nice to finish with one more. "We cant settle," he continued. "We played some tough teams (on the trip) and that is definitely a confidence boost but we want to keep going and keep the focus we have over this break. We are definitely not happy. We just have to keep working." The Raptors players and coaches will be excused for two days to spend Christmas with their family and friends before reconvening in New York City for practice on Boxing Day. "Its coming at a great time," admitted DeRozan, who is among the league leaders in minutes played and could use the rest. "[It] just gives us a chance to refresh our minds and our bodies and understand what lies ahead after this Christmas break." DeRozan and Johnson are each spending their time off in Toronto with their daughters, both of whom will be celebrating their first Christmas. Trey Hopkins Jersey . Granada defender Diego Mainz barged into the back of Villa to send the Spain striker to the ground inside the area and Costa stepped up to the spot to score his 12th league goal in the 38th minute. Costa showed no effects of the news that his Brazilian citizenship may be revoked after he elected to play for Spains national team, as the forward was a constant threat for Atletico and forced several saves from goalkeeper Roberto. Jordan Willis Jersey . You can watch all the action on TSN and TSN GO beginning at 8:30pm et/5:30pm pt. Minnesota dropped the first two tests of this best-of-seven set at Chicagos United Center and was outscored by a combined 9-3 margin in those setbacks. However, the Wild righted themselves at home by taking Game 3 by a 4-0 count before knotting the series at two games apiece with Fridays 4-2 triumph at Xcel Energy Center. http://www.bengalsauthenticproshop.com/Youth-Cj-Uzomah-Bengals-Jersey/ . As deep as their roster is, they need their superstar. Rose scored 23 points in his return from a five-game absence due to back pain, and Chicago hung on to beat the struggling Atlanta Hawks 90-79 on Monday.In part two of our hunt for value for money Sky Sports Fantasy Football players, our scout looks at defenders who could defy their modest price tags. Hector Bellerin was last seasons top scorer with 157 points and the Gunners man is priced at £10.3m for the new season - only just behind the games most expensive defender, Tottenhams Toby Alderweireld (£10.5m).But plenty of defenders who went on to rack up the points were available for smaller Fantasy Football fees last term, Leicester left-back Christian Fuchs accruing as many as Arsenals Laurent Koscielny - the most expensive option in 2015/16 - at £2.5m less. Sky Sports Fantasy Football Not got a team yet? Pick your XI, create a league and let the mind games begin! After looking at value goalkeepers, we turn our attention to some defensive prospects who could defy their modest valuations and do the business for your Sky Sports Fantasy Football team this coming campaign... Cedric Soares (Southampton - £7m)Experience has taught us the perils of signing players at inflated prices on the back of performances at summer tournaments but heres the chance to land a Euro 2016 winner who has been linked with a move to Barcelona for a modest price. Cedric Soares impressed for Portugal at Euro 2016 Soares helped Portugal keep four clean sheets en route to Euro 2016 glory after establishing himself as part of the Premier Leagues joint fifth-best backline last season. He also operated in a more advanced role down the right at time, notching a couple assists. At 24, and with a season of Premier League action under his belt, expect him to continue to flourish at a lower price than Virgil van Dijk (£8.1m), Jose Fonte (£7.8m) and Ryan Bertrand (£7.7m).Leighton Baines (Everton - £7.3m)The Everton left-back was last seasons second most expensive defender in Sky Sports Fantasy Football but is now a whole £3.2m cheaper than the most expensive pick. Leighton Baines scored in two of Evertons final four games of the season That valuation drop comes as a consequence of him recording a meagre 46 points last season due to a combination of injury, reduced set-piece duties and the Toffees troubled backline.New boss Ronald Koeman will surely make tightening up that defence a priority and showed hes capable with Southampton last campaign, despite a series of injuries and personnel changes. As a free-kick specialist himself, Koeman will surely appreciate Baines dead-ball threat and those considering selecting the 31-year-old will hope he returns to first-choice penalty taker.Craig Dawson (West Brom - £6.9m)As a general rule of Sky Sports Fantasy Football, when searching for a cheaper defensive option, yooull do far worse than looking towards a Tony Pulis backline. Josh Shaw Jersey. Craig Dawson celebrates powering home a header against Tottenham His West Brom side may struggle to challenge the upper echelons again this season but you can guarantee they will be organised, with his system seeing them end last season with the best defensive record outside the top six.While Dawson is marginally their most expensive defender, hes worth the nominal extra cost of £0.2m than Gareth McAuley and Jonny Evans, having found the net four times last season. The Baggies man picked up 99 points - more than Branislav Ivanovic (£10m) or Danny Rose (£9.3m).Calum Chambers (Arsenal - £7m)The long-term lay-off of Per Mertesacker (£9.2m) has seen Sky Sports Fantasy Football bosses scrambling to secure the services of Chambers, who is currently Arsenals only available centre-back. With Gabriel (£8.9m) left at home with tonsillitis and Koscielny (£10.3m) given additional leave to recover from Euro 2016, Chambers has the chance to prove he is ready to step up during the Gunners pre-season tour of America. Calum Chambers will be looking to impress Arsene Wenger in pre-season If the 21-year-old can secure a regular place in 2016/17 then his Sky Sports Fantasy Football prospects look bright, with Arsenal recording the most clean sheets in the Premier League last season. However, Gabriel looks the most likely replacement for Mertesacker so it could take another injury for the opportunity to come the versatile defenders way.Patrick van Aanholt (Sunderland - £7m)Attacking full-backs are prime fodder for Sky Sports Fantasy Football bosses and no defender proved more offensively effective last season than Sunderlands Dutchman. Two of his efforts may have been retrospectively credited as own goals but the left-back still retained the points, meaning he was credited with six goals and three assists. Patrick van Aanholt fires home a free-kick against Everton David Moyes will be keen to exploit the threat held by the left-back - who also provided five assists in 2014/15 - as he did successfully with Baines and Seamus Coleman at Everton, while attempting to tighten up the Black Cats with a more settled backline. Sky Sports Fantasy Football Which goalkeeper makes your XI? Create a league and let the mind games begin! Also See: Pick your team Player stats Fantasy Football News Enter the Sky Sports leagues Cheap NFL JerseysWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysJerseys From ChinaWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL JerseysCheap Jerseys ' ' '_________________ktuklk